English National Ballet 2024-2025 Season, Shows, Reviews

byCherilyn J. Lee

January 1, 2020 - Updated on May 30, 2024

English National Ballet

♦ Location: London – England

♦ Artistic Director: Aaron S. Watkin

♦ Orchestra: English National Ballet Philharmonic

♦ Affiliated School: English National Ballet School

♦ Founded in 1950 by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet. Renamed in 1989.

♦ Official Website of English National Ballet

English National Ballet 2024-2025 Season

The English National Ballet 2024-2025 season is the company’s 75th, marked by a couple of world premieres including a new production of The Nutcracker by Artistic Director Aaron S. Watkin.

They will also produce a free-to-watch 10-day digital celebration to provide a way for global audiences to have insight into the company. ENB@75 will feature performance excerpts, interviews, archive footage, and behind-the-scene privileges.

“In this, English National Ballet’s 75th Season, we will be celebrating the myriad ways that ballet can excite, entertain, and inspire. Be it the renewal of a beloved classic with our new Nutcracker, cherished revivals, or a return to the ground-breaking works of Akram Khan and William Forsythe – this is a season that showcases the many wonderful things that ballet can offer.
I am thrilled that English National Ballet continues to attract world-class creative talent. I can’t wait to have Arielle Smith and William Forsythe back in our studios to create work and I know our dancers will be inspired by their presence.
Finally, its hugely important to me that we welcome as many people as possible to celebrate our 75th Season with us. I am therefore delighted that we will be presenting a free digital celebration that will enable us to connect with ballet fans and new audiences alike, all around the world.”
Aaron S. Watkin, Artistic Director of English National Ballet

Two versions of Giselle will be presented back-to-back in the opening of the season. Akram Khan’s is a reimagining of the iconic ballet about love, betrayal, and redemption, featuring set designed by Academy Award-winner Tim Yip and a powerful score by Vincenzo Lamagna. Mary Skeaping’s classical production of Giselle will tour around the UK.

Watkin’s new Nutcracker will be in collaboration with Olivier Award-winning choreographer Arielle Smith, new costumes and sets by Dick Bird, and lighting by Paul Pyant. The artistic director expands:

“Nutcracker holds a special place in English National Ballet’s history and in the hearts of our audiences. The Company has performed a version of it every year since it was founded in 1950 and it is an honour to be working with Arielle and Dick, to bring new magic and wonder to this much-loved ballet.”

A triple-bill solely dedicated to master choreographer William Forsythe will feature Playlist (EP), New Suite (an ENB debut), and the world premiere of a new work created for the company in which Forsythe takes inspiration from the 2nd movement of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto Number 3 in C major Opus 26; “Tema con Variazioni”.

Along with their mainstage productions, English National Ballet will continue their performance series for younger audiences. In April 2025, My First Ballet: Swan Lake will be held at the Peacock Theatre featuring choreography by ENB’s Repetiteur Antonio Castilla and a narrator to guide audiences 3-years old and up through the story of what is probably the most famous classical ballet know.

The company will also expand their dedication to Emerging Talent with the addition of Choreo Labs to their already existent Emerging Dancer program.

Source: English National Ballet